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Explore Our ROI Rankings

Return on Investment (ROI) is an important measure for comparing the earnings and costs for students who attend specific colleges and universities. This metric attempts to weigh the cost of investing in college now against the potential gains over time of having a postsecondary credential.

Since 2019, we have analyzed data from the College Scorecard on earnings and debt from thousands of postsecondary institutions and programs. Our research shows that college typically pays off, but the return on investment varies by many factors:

Credential

Field of study

Program

Institution

Students

Geography

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Rankings of 4,600 Colleges by ROI:

See how your institution stacks up on a range of metrics, including short- and long-term ROI.

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Earnings and Debt for 37,000 Programs:

Compare first-year earnings and debt payments for your college program to those of other college programs by institution, field of study, and degree level.

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ROI for Low-Income Students:

Explore rankings of colleges and universities by ROI for low-income students.

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Read Our ROI Publications

Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025)

Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025)

February 25, 2025
Graduate Degrees: Risky and Unequal Paths to the Top

Graduate Degrees: Risky and Unequal Paths to the Top

September 24, 2024
A Law Degree Is No Sure Thing: Some Law School Graduates Earn Top Dollar, but Many Do Not

A Law Degree Is No Sure Thing: Some Law School Graduates Earn Top Dollar, but Many Do Not

July 1, 2024
Stop the Presses: Journalism Employment and the Economic Value of 850 Journalism and Communication Programs

Stop the Presses: Journalism Employment and the Economic Value of 850 Journalism and Communication Programs

December 7, 2022
The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of 5,500 Business Programs at More Than 1,700 Colleges

The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of 5,500 Business Programs at More Than 1,700 Colleges

June 28, 2022
Ranking 4,500 Colleges by ROI (2022)

Ranking 4,500 Colleges by ROI (2022)

May 10, 2022
ROI of Liberal Arts Colleges: Value Adds Up Over Time

ROI of Liberal Arts Colleges: Value Adds Up Over Time

April 26, 2022
Buyer Beware: First-Year Earnings and Debt for 37,000 College Majors at 4,400 Institutions

Buyer Beware: First-Year Earnings and Debt for 37,000 College Majors at 4,400 Institutions

April 26, 2022